Policy Evaluation of Resident Support with Sustainable Tourism Capacity in Heritage Destination Villages

Abstract

The rapid expansion of global tourism has placed unprecedented pressure on heritage destination villages, where the preservation of historical integrity frequently conflicts with the economic imperatives of tourism development. A critical determinant of long-term destination viability is the support of local residents, whose daily lives and cultural practices form the core of the heritage product. This study investigates the complex predictive relationship between sustainable tourism capacity and resident support, positioning local policy evaluation as a critical moderating and mediating mechanism. By integrating social exchange theory with capacity management frameworks, this research explores how residents perceive physical, environmental, economic, and social capacities, and how local government policies either mitigate or exacerbate the negative impacts of tourism growth. Operating within a general academic research framework, this study employs a comprehensive mixed-methods approach to gather data from residents across multiple heritage villages. The findings demonstrate that perceived sustainable capacity alone is insufficient to guarantee resident support; rather, the perceived efficacy, fairness, and transparency of local tourism policies serve as the primary catalyst for community endorsement. The research contributes to the theoretical discourse on tourism carrying capacity by highlighting the psychological dimensions of policy evaluation. Furthermore, the outcomes offer actionable insights for destination managers and policymakers, emphasizing the necessity of integrating capacity limits into transparent governance structures to foster sustainable and harmonious heritage tourism development.